Scent of Summer
by angellwings
Summary: JONAS. Macy continued to watch Nick. She didn't realize Stone had walked away until she realized she could no longer smell his cologne.


**A/N:** So, thank Poet on the Run for this. She challenged me to write something where Macy hates the smell of Stone's cologne. So…here it is, lol. She also came up with the title! Enjoy!

* * *

Scent of Summer

By angellwings

* * *

When Macy left the house she knew exactly where she wanted to go. The beach. Nick didn't want her to work for Stone. So, of course, her first instinct was to go back to Stone's camp at the beach. It was probably spiteful she knew, but she couldn't help it. Luckily the cab she and Nick had taken home was still waiting outside. She had the driver take her to the beach, paid him, and then sprinted to where she knew Stone would be. She slowed as she reached his camp and knew his eyes had been following her the entire time.

"Well, if it isn't the PhotoFox," Stone smirked. "I was under the impression you weren't coming back."

Macy glared at the sand, "You were given the wrong impression."

"So then you're considering my offer?" Stone asked.

She nodded, "Seriously considering it."

"That Jonas dude won't mind?"

"That Jonas dude doesn't make my decisions for me."

"Really?" Stone asked with a quirked eyebrow.

She looked up at him with fierce determination, "Really."

"Well then, let's finish that tour we started, Momma."

Momma? Who was this guy? AC Slater? Still though, the attention he was giving her made her blush. He wasn't her type, but it wasn't often that a ripped, attractive, athlete looked at her the way Stone did. Could anyone blame her for being curious?

"This is where we hand make our boards," He said smugly. "Or where we sand, wax, and airbrush old used ones."

He swept a hand across the space filled with various surf boards, and Macy gasped, "Wow."

She'd never surfed. Ever. But she was anxious to learn. She was also anxious to have her own board. Stone stepped into the tent and looked around for a few minutes before picking up a board and returning to her side. He glanced back at forth between her and the board for several seconds before he shoved the board into her hands.

He nodded, "The perfect board for a _fine_ woman like you."

"Oh, um, thank you," Macy said hesitantly, "but I can't afford—"

"On the house," He grinned. "Consider it a perk of the job."

"But I haven't accepted the job yet."

He continued to grin, "You will. Follow me."

Her eyebrows rose at his tone. She would? How did he know? He didn't! It was annoying that he would assume she would. Not as annoying as Nick's mistake, though. Which was the only reason she continued to follow him.

He took the board from her and placed it on the ground.

"What are we—"

He chuckled, "Patience, Foxy. We'll get to it."

"It's Macy."

"What?" He asked.

"My name is Macy."

"Okay." He said absently as he glanced around. He saw who he was looking for, "Dan! Bring me and the lady a couple of drinks will you? We're having a meeting."

"A meeting?" She asked. He motioned to the board and waited for her to sit. Once she sat down on the board he joined her. He scooted closer to her, and she edged away.

He nodded, "I need to make sure you understand how my operation works."

She hid a scowl with her hand, "Your…operation?"

"I know that you're used to fan sites. The Jonas guy said as much earlier today, and I want to make sure you understand that my site is very different."

"How so?" She asked.

"I make money. I'm not all about the money, but if my name is on it…it tends to sell. We're a _business_," He told her as he leaned toward her again. Macy caught a whiff of his cologne and turned away from him to hide her cringe. It didn't smell bad necessarily, but he was wearing far too much of it.

"I thought you were about saving the oceans? Spreading the word of the life of a true surfer, and things like that?" Macy asked. She tried to hide her disappointment. When she'd imagined meeting Stone (and yes, she had imagined it) he had been very different. Why did reality sometimes fall so short of her expectations?

"I am, but I enjoy having money to spend too. You get that right?"

"Yeah," She said as she bit back a sigh. "I get it."

"Now," He said as he stood up and stepped off the board. "Stand up."

She resisted the urge to glare at the command and stood.

"Okay, rule number one: if you work for me, you've got to learn how to surf," Stone told her as he approached her from behind. His cologne was all she could smell now, but she wouldn't let it ruin what she'd just heard. Surf! She was going to learn how to surf!

"Oh, I'm in," She said excitedly. _Just try not to touch me_, she thought.

She felt his arms inch their way closer. The smell of his cologne was starting to give her a headache. Did he have to stand so close?

"Alright, so… Stand like that. Alright, now remember, your shoulders are your steering wheel, so just keep it loose," He instructed. Her jaw tightened as she felt his hands hovering over her waist. This was feeling less like a surfing lesson and more like an attempt to hit on her. She was stopped from jumping away by Nick's sudden appearance. She breathed a smile sigh of relief that her "lesson" was interrupted, but then she remembered she was mad at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"You want to work for a surfer? Well, I'm a surfer."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "No you're not, Nick. You've never surfed in your life."

"How hard could it be?"

"Dude," Stone said with a condescending look. "I make surfing look easy because I'm great. Now you make being a rockstar look easy because…it is. See the difference?"

Macy really wanted to glare at Stone now. Who was he to judge how "easy" being a rockstar was?

"We'll see," Nick said with a determined glare. "Dude."

Macy watched him run into the waves in shock, "What are you _doing?_"

He didn't answer, and Macy fought the urge to go after him. Was he insane?

"Is that dude always this crazy?" Stone asked.

"No, never," Macy answered as she watched her friend worriedly.

"You must bring it out in him," Stone said in a resigned tone. He sounded like he knew something she didn't. Macy continued to watch Nick. She didn't realize Stone had walked away until she realized she could no longer smell his cologne. Nick had to know he was going to fail at surfing. He knew nothing about it!

Did he not realize how dangerous that could be? He crashed into the water. Macy watched him fumble toward the shore and then quickly ran to meet him. "Nick!"

She grabbed his arm and helped him. He collapsed onto the sand and she sat down beside of him. "Are you okay?"

She listened to him sputter and cough with concern.

"Stone was right. Surfing's hard."

She smiled a little at that. What was up with him? Why was he being so crazy? Not that she minded really. Seeing this side of Nick was nice, but not if he was going to pull insane stunts like that. "What has gotten into you?"

"This whole Stone thing got me thinking," He told her.

"About what?"

"You just seem…different this summer," He told her. "Good different."

Macy smiled. There was a little sadness in the smile. She knew why she was different. She was acting like less of a fan girl. Was that what it took for him to notice her? For her to drop the fangirl?

Why did that make her sad?

"Yeah, I guess I'm not that crazy fangirl anymore?"

He didn't answer her. She resisted the urge to let out a frustrated noise as he kept going.

"Look, Macy, if you want to work for Stone, I have no right to stand in your way. In fact…I don't think I can stand."

Macy's frustration faded when she realized he was apologizing. She laughed lightly at his joke as he continued.

"I'm just worried that…if you _do_ go work for him we won't be able to spend as much time together."

Her eyebrows rose, and she smiled. Really? He _wanted_ to spend time with her? Just the two of them? That was new. She liked the sound of hanging out with Nick…alone.

"Oh…wow," She said. "You know, I—I think I'm going to pass on this whole Stone Stevens thing, so…that should free me up for some hanging out time."

She really had been thinking about passing too. The more time she spent with Stone the more he gave her the creeps. Besides, she thought as Nick smiled at her, who was she to let down a Jonas?

She tried to help him up off the sand, but he quickly fell. He was still wobbly from being knocked off his board. "Can we start by hanging out here?"

She smiled, "Sounds good."

They looked out over the water and Macy sighed happily as Nick scooted closer. She didn't feel the need to lean away. The heat from his body actually felt…comforting. She inhaled and was happily greeted by the mingling smells of salt water and Irish Spring soap. Nick, apparently, didn't _need_ cologne.

She felt herself relax, and _knew_ she had made the right decision. This was what her summer was supposed to feel like.


End file.
